CBR: A Novel High-Light Expressed Protein and its Potential for Carotenoid Binding
Chlorella ohadii, a green desert microalga, is notable for its ability to thrive under extreme high-light intensities, a trait attributed to its efficient photoprotection mechanisms that mitigate photoinhibition. A novel thylakoid membrane protein, Carotenoid Biosynthesis Related (CBR), has been identified in high-light-grown cells of this alga. This protein is suspected to be a carotenoid-binding protein and, therefore, a crucial component of the alga’s photoprotective response. This study reports on the successful overexpression of recombinant CBR protein in E. coli. The expressed protein was then subjected to renaturation and purification, and subsequently reconstituted with native pigments. These procedures provide the necessary reagents for future in-depth structural and functional studies of CBR.
